The 2014 science curriculum introduces Evolution and Inheritance. With Nuffield Foundation support, we are researching this novel area in collaboration with teachers and children. Most activity is at Key Stage 1-2 (age 5-11), plus Key Stage 3 (age 11-14) consultation.

What is science? Depending on whom you ask, it may mean the pursuit of knowledge, explanations of our everyday world, a difficult subject you had to study at school or a field populated by larger than life characters such as Einstein, Feynman or Hawking. For me, science has been and remains an unexpected journey, an adventure and an ever-changing career.

There has been, without doubt, a marked increase in interest, research and publications exploring ways in which educational practices might be influenced by neuroscience. Most recently, in the UK this interest has been demonstrated by the call for proposals to develop, evaluate and communicate the impact of education interventions grounded in neuroscience research.

I was somewhere on the M1 near Leicester when it popped into my head: ‘I should write a book.’ Not just any book, but a popular science book for pupils. Free rein to share the things I loved about biology, answer the questions really asked in lessons and turn the hose onto the parched earth of the syllabus.

Chemistry at Work1 is a unique programme that provides an outstanding opportunity to contextualise learning for primary and secondary pupils, giving them an insight into future careers and skills required for the work place.

So, what is citizen science? Well, at its most basic it is citizens getting involved in science projects; this might be by gathering data, asking questions or analysing existing data. It can take place in many settings, maybe outside in the school playing field or a local park, in a computer laboratory or by using a mobile phone to take photographs, record data and upload.

The CASTME/ASE Award 2014. This prestigious award is specifically for a woman who has made a difference to the understanding of socially relevant science/maths/technology for girls and women, working in challenging circumstances.

Education and education research are related, but are not the same. Education research is concerned with improving learning at all levels, but can range from policy to the nature of knowledge, as well as interventions in the classroom or with teachers.